Announcments

= November 4, 2013 = As of this week, the problems for the Problem of the Week will be available on the MCPSS Livebiner and the answers here on the wikispace. There are 2 reasons for this. First, it is easier for teachers to go to the Livebinder for all current quarter 2 resources, including the P.O.W. While the wikispace does provide support and information, most of what teachers need for the quarter is in the Livebinder, and it does not require a login. Which brings up the second reason for the change in putting the answers on the wikkispace. While it is easier for teachers to access the P.O.W. in Livebinder, it is also accessible to parents and students. If a teacher is working on the P.O.W. as just that, a problem of the week, it defeats the purposeof students to trying to figure it out if they or their parents can find the answers in Livebinder. So, the problems are in Livebinder, but if teachers need the answers, they can be found here.

March 11, 2013
Grades 3, 4, and 5 Pacing Guides for Quarter 4 are available on the MCPSS Elementary Math Website. Look at the "Addtional Pages" table to the right and click on the gradelevel you are searching for. There will NOT be a Pacing Calendar for quarter 4. For question about the pacing for quarter 4, check with your lead teacher, principal, or Susan Jordan at smjordan@mcpss.com.

= January 16, 2013 =


 * __ ARMT+ Pacing Announcement: __** In grades 3 - 5, all instruction in the CCSSM will cease at the beginning of quarter 4 so that teachers can focus on teaching the ARMT+ standards that are not aligned with the CCSSM and/or not taught in //Math in Focus//. Time and suggested resources will be provided so that teachers can instruct students on the ARMT+ standards before the administration of the test in May. After sufficient time has been devoted to the ARMT+ standards, the pacing for 4th quarter will return to focusing on the CCSSM.

December 18, 2012
In achieving the goal of “teaching the standards”, elementary C & I, has 54 schools with very different levels of experience and knowledge to consider when planning PD. So, at this time, for this year, the main tool we are using in addressing this goal of “teaching the standards” is to provide the training through //MIF//. While we don’t advocate teaching a textbook, in order to allow teachers to continue teaching while also learning, we are supporting the use of //MIF.// It fits into the budget we have been provided and works towards achieving the goal of the standards. //MIF// is as close to the standards as anything available, and if used correctly, will also teach most of the content and practices, as well as help teachers fill gaps. If teachers begin with //Math in Focus// this year, they will be well on the way to teaching the standards. Notice it was stated, “well on the way” not completely. We recognize that NO current curriculum materials available would teach all the standards since NONE has been written for this purpose. However, teachers do need something they can rely on to help them achieve and move along. Once they have a year under their belt, have seen how instruction CCSS should look, and administered more rigorous assessments, then we can further their understanding.

As far as CCSS PD, of course that is the ultimate goal, but there are still needs in the form of money, time, and manpower. The State support team is working with schools, but right now most of that is focused on the PLTs, which is a select group of teachers who are mainly studying the practices. Laura and I are doing some work at individual schools on a one on one basis. However, we are still having a time unwrapping the CCSS, what they mean, and how to teach them in the manner in which they are intended. The resources the State has provided from the Wisconsin materials are tools to help teachers to "examine" the standards. While they are great tools, how many teachers (and we have to consider all schools) have adequate time to really sit down and use these tools to study the CCSS?

That being said, how strenuously teachers are expected to adhere to strictly teaching the standards varies based on grade levels. For grades 3-5 this year, the expectation and hope is that teachers will thoroughly teach the standards and practices put forth in //Math in Focus//. If teachers can fill gaps, teach most of the new standards in depth, and utilize the practices that would be considered great progress for this first year. //Math in Focus// will help them do that. The other option is to force them to try and understand a complicated set of standards and develop lessons that may or may not do the job. For this reason, while the expectation is for teachers to pay attention to all the standards, in developing the EQTs, only those standards that have instruction thoroughly provided in //Math in Focus// will be assessed. No matter what resource is used to teach these standards, if they are taught well, then students will have no problem with the assessment. No questions/problems unique to //Math in Focus// strategies, such as bar modeling, will be assessed, but ones that aligned to the standards will be.

Teachers are stressed enough with the changes without being pressured to develop strategic lessons and units on standards they have difficulty understanding. (In grades 3-5 there are a great many more gaps to fill, 2 different Courses of Study to teach, and standards that are very mathematical in terms.) Teachers have been thrown in the water and told to swim. When teaching someone to swim, you don’t start by telling them to compete in Olympic swim events. At first, you just want them to be able to stay above water. //Math in Focus// is a life preserver that will float them along until they can learn to swim on their own. When that happens, or if they already know how, I hope they will use //Math in Focus// as a primary resource (it is strategic and scaffolded) and use other resources to supplement. However, it takes a great deal of content and pedagogy knowledge to be able to plan and teach that way. Until then, it is good to reassure them that //MIF// will provide the support they need until they are as knowledgeable of the CCSS as they need to be to teach it thoroughly.

Grades K -2 have fewer gaps to fill and only one COS to teach. Therefore, they are expected to adhere more rigidly to the standards themselves. Laura has addressed this with her lead teachers.

October 25, 2012
__//** Grades 3 - 5: Quarter 2 EQTs will include test questions from Math in Focus PreTest and Test Prep and the ARMT+ Item Specifications that are aligned with the **////**CCSS/2003 ACOS.**//__

September 26, 2012
Basic Fact Administration Guide for Grades 3 -5.


 * |||||| **Quarter 1**  ||||||  **Quarter 2**  ||||||  **Quarter 3**  ||||||  **Quarter 4**  ||
 * ** Gr ** ||  ** Operation **  ||  ** # of items **  ||  ** Time **  ||  ** Operation **  ||  ** # of items **  ||  ** Time Limit **  ||  ** Operation **  ||  ** # of test items **  ||  ** Time Limit **  ||  ** Operation **  ||  ** # of items **  ||  ** Time Limit **  ||
 * **3** ||  Addition   Addends __<__ 9  ||  100  ||  5   mins.  ||  Subtraction   Minuends __<__ 18  ||  100  ||  5 mins.  ||  Multiplication   Single digit factors to 9  ||  100  ||  9 mins.  ||  Multiplication   Single digit divisors & quotients to 9  ||  100  ||  8 mins.  ||
 * **4** ||  Multiplication   Single digit factors to 9  ||  100  ||  8 mins.  ||  Multiplication   Single digit factors to 9  ||  100  ||  6 mins.  ||  Division   Single digit divisors & quotients to 9  ||  100  ||  8 mins.  ||  Division   Single digit divisors & quotients to 9  ||  100  ||  6 mins.  ||
 * **5** ||  Multiplication   Single digit factors to 9  ||  100  ||  5 mins.  ||  Multiplication   Single digit factors to 9  ||  100  ||  5 mins.  ||  Division   Single digit divisors & quotients to 9  ||  100  ||  5 mins.  ||  Division   Single digit divisors & quotients to 9  ||  100  ||  5 mins.  ||

July 15, 2012
Grade level pacing calendars are posted to the main Curriculum and Instruction Elementary Math Website.

May 15, 2012
==== The link below is for use with the implementation of the newly adopted textbook, Math in Focus. Please go to the link and explore. It provides a good basic outline of the program, its components, and some further learning on using Math in Focus. ==== = Math in Focus "Classroom Connect" Online Learning =